1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the fields of optical communication and optical signal processing, and in particular to a polygonal shape inverted “Y” optical beam splitter for splitting input light received into two new, but equal intensity, homogenous light beams.
2. Background
In optical communication systems, a waveguide is a physical structure which guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum along a path defined by the physical construction of the guide. Common types of optical waveguides include optical fiber and planar waveguides. One optical device which employs optical waveguides is an optical beam splitter. Beam splitters may be found in a wide variety of common optical instruments, such as cameras, binoculars, microscopes, telescopes, periscopes, range finders, and surveying equipment, as well as in many scientific instruments, including interferometers, spectrophotometers, and fluorimeters. A beam splitter is an optical component that splits a beam of light into two coherent parts. With the metal films, mirrors, and/or prisms, the beam splitter partially transmits and partially reflects the incident light beam, usually in unequal proportions. The beam splitter is placed in the path of a propagating light beam at an incidence angle relative to the beam. When positioned at such an incidence angle, the beam splitter divides the incident light beam into reflected and transmitted output beams at each point on a plane in the incident beam's wavefront.
Typical optical elements of a beam splitter which allow for splitting or combining the light beam may include metal films, mirrors, and/or prisms. When using conventional beam splitters, an initial critical alignment of the optical elements in the beam splitter is required in order to achieve the desired output beams. This initial critical configuration must then be maintained, as these elements are susceptible to misalignment and possible optical contamination. Furthermore, the use of multiple optical elements in a beam splitter can lead to substantial intensity losses and beam quality degradation.